Fubo lands on Xumo TVs and streaming boxes

Fubo, the sports-focused pay-TV streaming service, has a new set of outlets – Comcast's Xfinity Flex box and streaming boxes, plus smart TVs from Xumo, the Comcast-Charter national streaming joint venture.

Integration on that combination of devices will expand the exposure of Fubo, a virtual multichannel video programming distributor (vMVPD) that ended Q1 2024 with about 1.51 million paid subs in North America.

Notably, Fubo is among the pay-TV operators that carries Altitude TV, Stan Kroenke's regional sports network that serves as the TV home to the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche. Altitude TV has been blacked out on Comcast since the fall of 2019 after they could not come to an agreement on a new deal. Altitude TV followed with an anti-trust lawsuit that was settled in March 2023, but that didn't result in a new distribution agreement with Comcast. Fubo also carries regional sports networks from Bally Sports that have been off of Comcast's pay-TV service since May.

"With a huge collection of sports-focused channels ranging from local broadcast to national networks covering the biggest and smallest of sports, Fubo is a great addition to the growing catalog of streaming options available on our platforms," John Dixon SVP of entertainment at Comcast, said in a statement.

The integration also broadens the number of pay-TV options supported on Flex and Xumo devices. Others that have been integrated include YouTube TV, Hulu's live TV service and Sling TV. Those platforms, which all support voice navigation, also provide access to a range of other types of subscription and ad-supported streaming apps, including Apple TV+, Netflix, Paramount+, Tubi, Pluto TV and Xumo Play, the JV's free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) offering.

Comcast, which once held a stake in Fubo, has been using the Xfinity Flex box as a free add-on for broadband-only customers, but has since shifted its focus to the new Xumo Stream Box, which uses Comcast's globally-focused "EntertainmentOS" platform.

The Xumo Stream Box is now Charter's go-to device for new video sales.

The Xumo JV is also trying to secure distribution with other cable operators. Mediacom Communications, the first operator outside the joint venture to sign on with Xumo, is distributing the Xumo Stram Box to broadband-only customers.

Consumers can purchase the 4K-capable Xumo Stream Box directly for $59.99.

Xumo TVs are currently sold in the US via several retailers, including Best Buy Walmart, BJs and Meijer, among others.